US Ambassador Says Iraq Not Hopeless (AP)

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

US Ambassador Says Iraq Not Hopeless

The Associated Press
Sunday, June 17, 2007; 9:09 AM

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. ambassador in Baghdad said Sunday
the situation in Iraq is "a mixed picture, but certainly not a
hopeless one."

He said there are frustrations, but also signs of progress, and
cautioned about the ramifications of a precipitous withdrawal
of forces.

"In terms of the political agenda, clearly we are frustrated
with the slow progress that is being made on the legislative
benchmarks," said Ambassador Ryan Crocker. "The Iraqis are
frustrated, too. They are working hard on these things. The
fact is they are difficult to do, difficult in and of themselves
... and difficult in the current security climate."

He said the Iraqis are "very close" to agreement on a plan for
manage the country's oil production and share resources.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/17/AR2007061700320.html

[State the Obvious]

1. Did he also mention how many more Americans

...will have to die FOR America's disatrous President Bush?

How many more, Mr. Ambassador?..... 100? 1000? 3000? 5000?

Not one more! Not ONE more! :mad:

[Kingstree]

2. No Confidence

I watched both Meet The Press (Amb Ryan Crocker) and Fox News Sunday (Gen. Patraeus). I felt, saw and heard no confidence in either one with positive progress. The "Surge" is just a stall tactic for the Bush Administration to continue this war until Bush's term is up and it get handed over to the next president. The "Three Legs" that Colin Powell talked about last week on Meet The Press (Iraqi security training, Government reconciliation, Insurgent Control) will not be met by September and Gen. Patraeus and AMB Crocker knows it. Just watching the nervous concern and the unsure look on Patraeus and Ryan faces shows that this strategy was bogus from the start and this was just a pipe dream.

But just wait until September when the progress report is due that suddenly everything is working well. The issue then will be more time and more money. Bush and Chaney will not let these two report the truth and when it is uncovered, poor Gen. Patraeus will take the fall. All these Generals are loyal, forth right and want to win, but they are just being used. The Bush administration has littered the U.S. Army and Marines with Generals, who have had the stellar careers tainted by this administration.

[PurityOfEssence]

3. Yaaay!! It's not an absolute, abject disaster!

Oh goody; we're getting close to an agreement on all that tasty oil we went for in the first place!

Somehow the constant kidnappings and killings don't seem to matter as much, nor does the sewage or the lack of electricity or the shattered economy or the health services or pretty much anything that pertains to the civilians.

Ooooh, there's a glimmer of hope that it won't be a flat-out cataclysm; be still my beating heart.

[struggle4progress]

4. Crocker can find time to talk to media but can't find time to testify to Congress?